Indore: Despite conducive environment, Sarus' population fails to increase as expected, due to fishing and excessive use of pesticides in the farms near the habitats in Indore. The trend from preceding years shows a fall in the rise of Sarus population in various areas, especially as per expectations.
Despite conducive environment, Sarus' population fails to increase as expected, due to fishing and excessive use of pesticides in the farms near the habitats in Indore. The trend from preceding years shows a fall in the rise of Sarus population in various areas, especially as per expectations.
Yeswant Sagar is an IBA (important bird area) site of Indore region. It’s an IBA site because of breeding ground to one of the tallest flying birds of the world, the Sarus crane, which is a vulnerable bird in the IUCN red list.
In every summer Sarus cranes congregate in and around the Yeswant sagar area which is a good wetland plus have agriculture fields around it which make it suitable habitat for the feeding, breeding & roosting site for them.
Every year NWCAS team carries out extensive surveys in this area to take the count of Sarus cranes to understand their change in numbers and also to study the change in land use patterns, change in habitat, issues and changes in the surrounding ecosystem due to human activities which have major impact in any system.
This year the survey was started in the 4th week of May after the unlock phase & concluded on 20th June 2021. “In that we thoroughly scanned the entire Yeswant Sagar and its surrounding area, this year there has been only 2 more added in their count as compared to last year,” ornithologist Ravi Sharma, president of NWCAS, said.
This year total 76 Sarus were recorded in all whereas last year count was 74 in number. “It’s alarming why Sarus numbers have not increased though last year had good rainfall, agricultural crops production hence better availability of water & food for them,” Sharma said.
Last year, the team had recorded their numbers raised by 10 percent and in the preceding year, i.e. in 2018, there was a rise of 24 percent. “So this trend is not a good sign and we need to work further to check this trend,” Sharma said.
As per the team’s observation, there are some reasons, which might have affected the numbers. The following reasons were sighted in the report shared by Sharma:
1. Now a days so much fishing going on at the Yashwant Sagar, water shifting from main pond to small ponds for fisheries, large numbers of fishing nets were hanged on poles for drying that all causing disturbance in the entire area
2. At Gulawat area during covid, bamboos were removed or burnt for various reasons also much of crowds at this area as now its hot spot for Indoreans for picnic, and other activities hence have much disturbance at the spot.
3. New linking road is also under development around the periphery of Yashwant Sagar which also impacts on the same.
4. Might be some mortality of young ones due to various reasons hence this year Sarus cranes numbers are less for that further studied need to be carried out
5. Due to vegetables growing on the dried land of Yashwant Sagar (in summer) that use heavy insecticides & pesticides which have adverse effect on the pond water, birds & microorganism which overall disturb the ecology of the wetland, though our team time to time give message to local people to use minimum of these & not to through the waste bottles & containers of same in water or on field.
“It’s a need of hour to collectively work to protect and conserve the Yashwant Sagar ecology so that we can conserve the good IBA site which has over 275- 300 bird species and also various water dependent plants, reeds, microbes & animals,” Sharma said.
Yeswant Sagar is an IBA (important bird area) site of Indore region. It’s an IBA site because of breeding ground to one of the tallest flying birds of the world, the Sarus crane, which is a vulnerable bird in the IUCN red list.
In every summer Sarus cranes congregate in and around the Yeswant sagar area which is a good wetland plus have agriculture fields around it which make it suitable habitat for the feeding, breeding & roosting site for them.
Every year NWCAS team carries out extensive surveys in this area to take the count of Sarus cranes to understand their change in numbers and also to study the change in land use patterns, change in habitat, issues and changes in the surrounding ecosystem due to human activities which have major impact in any system.
This year the survey was started in the 4th week of May after the unlock phase & concluded on 20th June 2021. “In that we thoroughly scanned the entire Yeswant Sagar and its surrounding area, this year there has been only 2 more added in their count as compared to last year,” ornithologist Ravi Sharma, president of NWCAS, said.
This year total 76 Sarus were recorded in all whereas last year count was 74 in number. “It’s alarming why Sarus numbers have not increased though last year had good rainfall, agricultural crops production hence better availability of water & food for them,” Sharma said.
Last year, the team had recorded their numbers raised by 10 percent and in the preceding year, i.e. in 2018, there was a rise of 24 percent. “So this trend is not a good sign and we need to work further to check this trend,” Sharma said.
As per the team’s observation, there are some reasons, which might have affected the numbers. The following reasons were sighted in the report shared by Sharma:
1. Now a days so much fishing going on at the Yashwant Sagar, water shifting from main pond to small ponds for fisheries, large numbers of fishing nets were hanged on poles for drying that all causing disturbance in the entire area
2. At Gulawat area during covid, bamboos were removed or burnt for various reasons also much of crowds at this area as now its hot spot for Indoreans for picnic, and other activities hence have much disturbance at the spot.
3. New linking road is also under development around the periphery of Yashwant Sagar which also impacts on the same.
4. Might be some mortality of young ones due to various reasons hence this year Sarus cranes numbers are less for that further studied need to be carried out
5. Due to vegetables growing on the dried land of Yashwant Sagar (in summer) that use heavy insecticides & pesticides which have adverse effect on the pond water, birds & microorganism which overall disturb the ecology of the wetland, though our team time to time give message to local people to use minimum of these & not to through the waste bottles & containers of same in water or on field.
“It’s a need of hour to collectively work to protect and conserve the Yashwant Sagar ecology so that we can conserve the good IBA site which has over 275- 300 bird species and also various water dependent plants, reeds, microbes & animals,” Sharma said.
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